We need to talk
by Nagiru
Summary: [5th Part of the Starting Over Series] Ran and Shinichi talk about their relationship - or, rather, the lack of one. Or: It's necessary to end a relationship to begin another one. Shinichi will realize it later; Ran is smarter than him.
**Part of the Starting Over series**

 **Summary:** Ran and Shinichi talk about their relationship - or, rather, the lack of one. (Or: It's necessary to end a relationship to begin another one. Shinichi will realize it later; Ran is smarter than him.) [Part of the Starting Over Series]

 **Notes:** Shinichi's heart needed to be broken for once and for all. I hope I managed to do it quite quickly.

Let's see: this one should come around… Five months after Starting over? Kaito has been quite the gentleman with Shinichi, as we all know, and, as Shinichi himself noted, he and Ran have not been quite the same already, so… Please, I just don't know how to write a broken heart, or a rejection, or whatever, so, it's as vague as I could make it, okay? Hope you don't mind.

By the way, this one is really, really, reeeeeally short, soooo… And Kaito doesn't even show up in this! Yeah, in the first plan, he would, but then, I think I would prefer to write that part in his view, so I left it for another time. For now, just Ran and Shinichi and a good old rejection.

Maybe, sometime later, I'll write Kaito soothing Shinichi over his broken heart?

 **Disclaimer:** Detective Conan, Magic Kaito and their respective characters still don't belong to me; they're all owned by Aoyama Gosho, and I'm just using them for my own fun. This story was written by me, however!

 **Warnings:** heartbreak; slight angst?

* * *

Shinichi sat there, staring at Ran in shock; he knew they had been drifting apart lately, but… Cut their ties? Wasn't that kind of _harsh_? Even if they could return to be just friends later, he couldn't understand why they had to stop seeing each other _now_.

He said so to her. "But, Ran, I _like_ you!"

"Yes. You _like_ me. As a friend. A sister, maybe." She waved a hand irritated already from having to argue with him about it. "But, Shinichi, we're not _it_! You had me wait for you for two whole _years_ , and when you come back you don't even ask me to be your _girlfriend!_ "

He shied away into himself, afraid of her temper. "That's… That's _true_ , but… But I _wanted_ to ask you, I just… I didn't know _how_ to ask you!"

"How about, ' _yes, Ran, you were right, I was Conan, and I'm sorry about lying to you this whole time. Now we've cleared that up, would you go out with me?'_ " she drawled sarcastically, a fire burning in her eyes that Shinichi hadn't seen since that particular incident, when he had to tell her about being Conan. He was glad he had waited two weeks before contacting her; Ran had been _not happy_ with the notice, not happy _at all_ , and had he been, ah, "weak" as when he first turned back to a teenager, he would probably end up with more broken bones than was healthy.

"That… Doesn't sound like a nice way to ask someone out." He answered meekly.

"No, it doesn't, does it?" she was seething by now, and he really wanted to get up and run. Far away. "So, yes, Shinichi, I think we are not ready to be a couple, and I think we will never be. We've been siblings for two years, even if I didn't know it at the time, and I've been waiting for even _longer_ , but you just don't _do it!_ You don't ask me, you don't seem to even _look at me_ like that! You see, Shinichi, I _like you_. I still like you like that, I still like you like the geek detective I thought I would marry one day, but I'm not _in love_ with you anymore. Because you're not _that_ detective anymore, and I'm not _that girl_ anymore. I'm not the same girl waiting for you. Now I realized that I'm strong enough for myself and, if I want to be with someone, I have to work for it just as hard, not to… Wait for it. So, no, we won't work, and I don't want to keep myself tied to past hopes. Obligations, if you must. Everyone thought we would end up married, so we would, but… We won't. I don't want to. And neither do you."

As she finally seemed calmer, Shinichi finally let himself relax a little. He… Didn't know what to think about what she said to him. She was kind of right, but also kind of not so right. Yes, he didn't ask her out, but it wasn't that he didn't _like her;_ it was just that… He was _afraid_. He was afraid of being rejected, he supposed. And afraid of being with her and — and that it wouldn't work in the end. So, because of his fear, he kept quiet. Now, because of his fear, he missed the opportunity completely.

"I'm sorry." He murmured honestly. "I really like you, Ran. I like how strong you are, how brave. I like that you're so smart, so ready to face a criminal, but still so innocent that you're still afraid of ghosts." He chuckled a little at that. "But, I understand. You… Okay. I…" He didn't understand, actually. Couldn't. And couldn't think of what to say now, so he said nothing. Instead, he gulped down his fear, faced her in the eyes, and tried to smile. "If you say we have to keep the distance, then… Then I guess I'll be going. I'm sorry."

He rose up quickly, trying not to let her see him cry, and turned around before he could break up. "If that's all…"

He was almost stepping out of the house when her voice stopped him. "Shinichi. I know you're hurt right now, and that you probably can't see it, but… You already have it, you know. Something you care about. Don't lose it from your sight. Don't miss this new opportunity. It's a nice one. You're so _lucky_ … I hope I find something as good as what you have too."

He didn't know what she was talking about. "I hope you do, too." Because he did, doesn't matter what it was. She deserved the world.


End file.
